Former players blast Tomic after lackluster Wimbledon loss

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

(Reuters) - Bernard Tomic has faced a barrage of criticism from former players after the 24-year-old Australian said he faced “mental issues” and was bored during his lackluster loss to Mischa Zverev in the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Tomic was touted as a future major champion in his homeland after winning a slew of boy’s titles, including junior grand slam triumphs at the Australian and U.S. Opens, but his career has stalled and he remains without a title since 2015.

Following the 6-3 6-4 6-3 loss to Germany’s Zverev, Tomic conducted an unconventional news conference at the All England Club in which he detailed his struggles to stay motivated.

Tomic’s attitude irked a lot of his fellow countrymen, including former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who said Australians were not pleased with either his performance or his comments.

“He can do a lot worse than that to ruin the image that we’ve created. But a lot of ex-players are cringing, Aussies, especially... the guys who started this pro circuit. We wouldn’t be here without these guys,” Cash told the BBC.